Wall or roof construction



March 23, 1937. F. LUHL WALL 0R ROOF CONSTRUCTION a Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 28, 1935 llll ll l 4 4 F L Z /-vc- Tori F. LUHL WALL 0R ROOF CONSTRUCTION March 23, 1937.

Filed Aug. 28, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 "21c J2 a 42 F1 /8 "wt 9 EMA! Filed Aug. 28, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 iii? 49 7 1 l 43 25c 22 25.1

March 23,1937. F LUHL 2,074,656

WALL OR ROOF CONSTRUCTION March 23, 1937. F. LUI-DIL WALL 0R ROOF CONSTRUCTION 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 28, 1935 March 23, 1937. U 2,074,656

WALL OR ROOF CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 28, 1935 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE WALL R ROOF CONSTRUCTION Fritz Liihl, Herchen/Bieg, Germany Application August 28. 1935', Serial No. 38,289 In Germany July 3, 1931 Claims. (Cl. 289-1) This invention relates to a wall or roof construction, more particularly for light erections, cementless glass roofs and so forth, in which thin-walled plates of comparatively large dimen- 5 sionsare disposed on or between iron supporting elements.

The following are required of such constructions:

( 1) Complete insulation with respect to temperature transference; i-

(2) Suflicient sealing oif towards moisture;

(3) Avoidance of holes in the structural elements as far as possible; and, insofar as they are to be used for erection of whole buildings,

in addition (4) A stiffening of the light structural plates,

(5) A reinforcing of the supporting elements, rafters and the like, and finally (6) Convenient insertion of plates made of in- Q sulating material.

All these requirements are fulfilled, by the wall and roof construction according to the present invention, in which the structural plates used are disposed between an outer and an inner support. Both supports are, according to the invention, connected together by means of screw bolts which are isolated or insulated in the outer support and disposed so as to be freely displaceable.

A further characteristic of the invention consists in this that the inner support consists of a U-shaped girder member with inwardly directed securing flanges, the side walls of the girder member which are provided at the free ends with the said securing flanges either running straight or being so bent inwardly, e. g. with right angle bends, that the girder member possesses lateral hollows or recesses.

A further characteristic of the invention consists in this that when erecting walls auxiliary frames are clamped between the two. supports besides the outer structural plates, to which frames are fastened the inner structural plates, whereby insulating chambers containing still air are formed between the outer and inner structural plates. The said auxiliary frames may have outwardly bulged traverse bars, or straight transverse bars with bulged attached portions over which the outer structural plates are tightly tensionedon tightening up the securing bolts. A further c aracteristic of the invention consists in this that a wireor cable-like sealing strip capable of being wound up is used for sealing oii the structural plates with respect to their support, said strip consisting of a seamless sheathing which exteriorly is smooth or is longitudinally fluted, grooved or channelled, advana tageously made of lead, having a non-resilient hard metal insertion which is resistant to fracture or tear.

Further details of the invention'will become apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings: v

Fig. 1 shows the new construction in perspective view in the case of the erection of a wall,

Fig. 2 isa horizontal crosssection showing the details of the means for holding the parts together; j

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views showing slight variations thereof;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the manner of securing the ceiling beam;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the manner of securing the floor;

Fig. 7 shows various pipes located within the inner support;

Fig. 8 shows a modification in which a tie-rod strengthens the inner support;

Fig. 9 shows a counter-balance for windows mounted in the inner support;

Figs. 10, 11, and 12 are views similar to Fig. 2, showing modifications.

Figs. 13, 15, and 17 show in elevation various forms of the sealing strip, and

Figs. 14, 16, and 18 show the same in cross section.

In the constructional examples shown in Figs. 1-3 the inner U-shaped structural support l0 possesses smooth walls standing at right angles to one another having inwardly directed securing flanges Illa. By means of the flanges Illa the inner-structural support abuts ,on the steel struts l3, to which it is firmly secured by means of bolts or screws l2 in the form shown in Fig. 3. This support is consequently disposed in front of the steel struts and, as a consequence of its particular mode of fastening shows no lateral projections as a result of the arrangement of angle pieces etc. or by screw or rivet heads. Its back portion is provided with perforations at certain intervals for the passage of the fastening screws M. The head l5 of each of these is embedded in an insulating piece of wood I! by means of a washer I6 which is turned down on both sides and is provided with a ioursided hole, the said piece of wood being disposed on a bridge piece l8 of metal, e. g. iron. This bridge piece has bent up portions H! on both sides for the purpose of fixing the wooden insertion piece, and effects a central guidance of the four-sided screw M bolt through the opening 20, so that there is no contact between the screw and the bridge. The screw, with the bridge and wooden supporting piece, is freely displaceable in the interior space of the outer covering or supporting rail 2|, but it has no point of contact with the latter and consequently lies completely insulated and protected in this structural support. The structural plates 22 are disposed on or in an auxiliary frame 23 consisting of the flat side piece 23a, the upright side piece- 23b and the transverse rods 23c-mounted intermediately at certain intervals. The flat side piece 23a also has a safety channel 23d. In the case of plates of great width the transverse rods are arched or are provided with an attached arched portion 24 (Figs. 1 and 2). foregoing, the structural plate with its auxiliary frame (without there being any lateral obstacle) is now laid on or between the inner structural supports, extending, may be, over even two stories. The structural plates are now secured by means of the outer covering or protecting rail and the fastening bolts thereof, which owing to their capability of being freely displaced can be readily guided to the corresponding hole positions in the back portions of the inner structural supports and inserted therein. When the nut 25 is tightened up the outer covering or protecting rail is pressed on to the structural plates by means of its inserted sealing cords 26.

The sealing cords, as shown in Figs. 13-18, preferably consist of an advantageously seamless sheathing 4|, smooth on the exterior or fluted grooved or channelled in a longitudinal direction, made of lead or an artificial substance in the semi-hard, that is to say elastic, state, e. g. an artificial resin mass, with a non-resilient fracture-resisting hard metal insertion 42. Such a 40 protected sealing can be fastened readily and with certainty in the tightly stretched state by merely exposing the hard metal insertion at the ends of the sealing, guiding the same through bored holes in the covering rail and bending over.

'45 Furthermore, such sealings can be. straightened out without diminution in cross section or danger of fracture and'can be inserted in a stretched condition. The new sealing can also be laid between corrugated plates, since owing to the hard metal insertion there is no danger of the sealing sagging in the case of an inclined or upright position, such as hitherto has frequently occurred with such intermediate layers, more particularly in the case of superposed glass panes in an inclined position. By longitudinally grooving the outer surface of the sealing sheathing the sealing capability of the same is raised and ensured even in. a bad position, since the edges can readily yield. For sealing of! highly sensitive structural plates the sealing strip advantageously has between the hard metal insertion 42 and the outer sheathing 4| an elastic inter-- mediate layer 43 of cork, jute or some other suitable material, advantageously material saturated with a water-repelling liquid, for instance .a tarlike liquid (Figs. 15-18). In order to protect the surface of the sealing material from injury of any kind during transport, or even at any time just where it happens to be, the sealing, as shown in Figs. 15 and 17, may. be provided with a protective covering 44 by being wound, wrapped, spun, woven or twisted around with a fibrous material or even with metallic threads, or by being wrapped round with a suitable strip material.

The new wall and roof construction enables Corresponding to the the insulation plates 21, or 21a, previously fastened on the transverse bars 230, to be simultaneously mounted from the exterior with exterior structural plates and auxiliary frames. Should the insulation plates not form the inner wall plates at the same time, then the upright side portion of the auxiliary frame 23b enables the wall finish to be applied, such as plastering, extended or wrought metal 23, insulating plates or the like.

Between the transverse bars, the outer wall plates and the insulation plates chambers 29 of still air are formed, as are to be seen from the general showing in Fig. 1.

In the constructional form shown in Figs. 4 to 9 lateral hollowed out or recessed portions IOb are provided on the inner girder member I! and again inwardly directed flanges Illa for the pur--' pose of effecting convenient attachment to the steel skeleton. Fig. 4 shows a section through the two-part structural support and here will be seen how the finished structural plate with doubled insulation 21a and insulation plate 21 is disposed. The wall here has, besides the chamber 29 of still air between the insulating plate 21a and the insulation plate 21, the still-air space 30 and a further insulating space 3| between the insulation plate 21 and the interior finishing surface 28 as well.

Fig. 5 shows the insertion of the ceiling beam or joint and the securing of the same in axial position to'the inner structural support.

Fig. 6 shows how the floor is secured by means of angle iron straps 32 on the one hand, and on theother hand how a support can be reinforced or a joint made by means of a strap 33,

without the heads of the rivets or screws later ally projecting and so forming an obstacle to the insertion of the framework.

Fig. 7 shows the embedding of pipes 5| of all kinds as previously mentioned, which consequently can be led from the cellar into the upper rooms without any interruption or breaking away I of the masonry. However, it also shows how insulation, pumiceous concrete, plates 34 can be disposed in the cavities, and in most cases a wedging 35 of these plates will suffice.

Fig. 8'shows another bedding in of insulation or insulating plates, not a lateral wedging as in Fig. 7, but a wedging between the projecting parts of the girder member and the flat side of the plate 34. Chiei'ly, however, Fig. 8 shows the arrangement of a tie rod 36. which may be provided, and how this is hidden in the hollow space between the insulation plate 34 and the interior finishing or plastering 28. V

Fig. 9 finally shows how the counter or balance weight 31 for sliding windows or the like is arranged in the interior space of the inner structural support and the roller 33 for the pull wire or cord 39 is fastened.

The buildings obtained in accordance with the new manner of construction are to be regarded as proof against fire and earthquakes and also to a certain extent against burglary, since the fastening means (screws 'or rivets) are not led to the exterior and consequently cannot be loosened from the outside. Buildings can be erected with complete insulation by'means of the new construction. All the work is done in the workshop and the erection and assemblage is independent of the time of year and the influences of the weather.

Figs. 10-12 show the use of the new construction in effecting cementless glazing. The glass iii ' plates 45 are here disposed, with intermediate insertion of sealing strips 26, on wooden rails 46 which rest on the interior support. The latter maybe an ordinary U-girder 41 (Figs. 10 and 11) or a profile girder 48 with lateral bulged-in parts, in which windows 49 for a double glazing may be inserted in the mostconvenient manner (Fig. 12)

The fastening of the glass plates on their sup port is again effected by means of the outer covering or supporting rail 2|, in the hollow space traversing which, open at the under side, the fastening bolts I4 with heads 15,- projecting through holes in the under support, are disposed so as to bedisplaceable and isolated. As already previously emphasized direct communication between the outer air and the inner space is avoided thereby, so that no temperature transferences can take place, through which, as is well known, deposition of perspiration moisture occurs and corrosion centres on the interior of the supporting body form. Also no moisture can penetrate from above through the screw holes into the structural body since the covering rail is completely closed off from the exterior, that is to say it has no holes or other gaps and interruptions such as are shown by the cementless glazings heretofore known. In spite of the bolt heads being covered any.desired displacements of the bolts in the longitudinal direction of the covering rail is possible, with the result that the disposition of the bore holes in the support is made independent of .the covering rail and consequently erection is considerably facilitated.

The covering or supporting rail 2| may be a hollow-bent, hollow-drawn or hollow-pressed ledge of metal (Figs. 3-10) or of artificial material, for example asbestos cement slate or other artificial stone (Fig. 12), in the hollow space of which insulating bridges II are displaceably guided for the support of the bolt heads l5. However, as shown in Figs. 2 and 11, the covering or protecting rail 2i may also consist of a wood strip profiled as desired with an undercut groove 7 50 for directly sliding in the bolt head.

What I claim is:-

1. A wall or roof construction in which thin- Walled plates are firmly clamped by means of screw bolts, .so as to be insulated and sealed off, between an inner supporting element and an outer rail which covers the meeting place of the plates, characterized by the feature that the outer covering or supporting rail is convex exteriorly and has a hollow space traversing same which is open underneath and undercut in form, insulating members movably held in said space and bolts passing through said insulating members and the inner supporting element, bridge pieces in said space, having central apertures larger'than said bolts, means for fixing the relative position of said bolts and said bridge pieces so that the bolts pass through said bridge pieces without contacting the same.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which the inner supporting element comprises a U- shaped girder member having inwardly directed securing flanges.

3. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which 'the inner supporting element comprises a U- shaped girder having inwardly directed securing flanges and in which the sides are directed inwardly and then outwardly to form a lateral channel.

4. The device as claimed in claim 1 in which there are auxiliary frames clamped between the outer rail and the inner supporting member, inner structural plates and means for fastening the inner structural plates to said frames whereby insulating chambers of still air are formed between the outer and inner structural plates.

5. A wall or roof construction in which thinwalled plates are firmly clamped by means of screw bolts, so as to be insulated and sealed off,

between an inner supporting element and an outer rail which covers themeeting place of the plates, characterized by the feature that the outer covering or supporting rail is convex exteriorly and has a hollow space traversing same which is open underneath and undercut in form, 3

insulating members movably held in said space and bolts passing through said insulating mem-,

bers and the inner supporting element, bridge pieces in said space, having central apertures larger than said bolts, means for fixing the relaing outwardly arched transverse bars over which the outer structural plates are tightly stretched on tightening up the securing screws. 

